Rinse tube fob motion picture



Oct. 26, 1937. H. N. ENSIGN ET AL RINSE TUBE FOR MOTION PICTURE DEVELOPING MACHINES Filed May 9, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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Oct. 26, 1937. I H. N. ENSIGN ET AL RINSE TUBE FOR MOTION PICTURE DEVELOPING MACHINES Filed May 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A 172 venfora /]fa/rzli 4 fvsz'gm Jzfirry 3, Han 50/7 Patented Oct. 26, 1937' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RINSE TUBE FOR MOTION PICTURE DEVELOPING MACHINES Application May 9, 1936, Serial No. 78,883

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to motion picture film processing machines, and more particularly to means for rinsing a film strip between subsequent treatment tanks, as between the developing and hypo tanks of a developing machine.

As is well known, motion picture film is ordinarily developed by passing it continuously through a developing tank, a hypo tank, and a final water wash tank, in succession. The film is usually rinsed between the developing and hypo tanks by passing it through a tank of water. It is the general object of the present invention to provide improved and simplified means for rinsing the film strip between two treatment baths, as between the developing and hypo tanks.

In accordance with the present invention, the usual rinse tank is eliminated. The film strip coming from the developing tank is run upwardly into the higher end of a sloping tube or trough whose lower end is provided with a wash water drain. In its upward run to enter the high end of this trough the film passes through an air squeegee that forces the developing liquid back down the film into the developing tank, so that the film entering the sloping trough carries as little developer as possible. The film runs through the trough at a downward inclination. In its downward course within this trough, the film strip is washed by water discharged by nozzles mounted adjacent the film, the washings dropping to the sloping trough bottom and running to the drain at the lower end. At the lower end of the trough, just before the film passes the water drain, another air squeegee forces the water back on the film, so that the film carries as little water as possible out of the trough. From the lower end of the trough the film is taken on to the next treatment tank.

The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of a present preferred embodiment thereof, reference for this purpose being had to accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a somewhat conventionally illustrated developing machine tank equipped with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section of the rinse tube and underlying portion of the developing machine seen in Fig. 1, being a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a plan view, being a view looking downwardly on the device seen in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken as indicated by line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a detail section of a film roller assembly, taken as indicated by line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings numeral [0 designates generally a comparatively shallow developing tank, numeral II the forward portion of a similarly shaped hypo tank, and numeral I2 the rinse tube device of the present invention. The developing tank here shown for illustrative purposes is of horizontal type, comprising sides Illa, ends 10b, and bottom I00, the film strip F entering by passing around and under a roller 13, and thence passing through horizontal convolutions defined by rows of end rollers l4 and I5 and a center driving drum l6. Drum l6 engages the film strands both at the top and at the bottom of the film convolutions, and may be driven in any suitable manner. The film leaves the solution in the tank after passing under a film roller I 8 (Figs. 1 and 4), which is preferably mounted on a slightly inclined axis, as shown, so as to direct the film strip toward the open end of the rinse tube. The developing tank is supplied with developer solution through pipes I9, and the developer may be drained from the tank in any suitable manner, not here shown. A developing machine of the type here indicated is completely disclosed and claimed in our copending application entitled Horizontal type film developing and drying machine, filed May 9, 1936, Ser. No. 78,884, allowed April 2, 1937.

The film strip F passes upwardly from roller la in the developing tank at an angle, such as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, to enter the high end of the sloping rinse tube or trough I 2. This rinse trough, which embodies a sloping bottom wall 25, side walls 26 and 21, and a sloping top 28, along the upper edge of one of the side walls Illa of the developing tank, being here shown with its outside side wall 21 resting on a side rail 29 on the upper edge of side tank wall Illa (Fig. 4), and with its sloping bottom wall 25 resting across and extending beyond rear end tank wall lllb (Fig. 2). Thus the trough overhangs the open upper side of the developing tank.

The top side 28 of the trough includes a pair of doors 4!], hinged at 4|, through which the interior of the trough is accessible. At the forward end of the trough is a swinging door 44, comprising a top member 44a resting on the rearwardly sloping upper edges 28a of trough sides 26 and 21 and hinged at 45 to a stationary top member 28b on an axis transverse to the trough, and an end member 44b joined to memfilm strip into the trough. The film strip rising from roller I8 passes upwardly through its entrance, beneath and substantially parallel to door member 4421; being received between a pair of film rollers 30 and 3| located in'the forward end of the trough, as shown. From rollers 30 and 3|, the film passes in a substantially horizontal direction to a pair of guide rollers 33 and 34, and from there passes at a downward inclination, parallel to the inclination of the trough,.to a pair of guide rollers 35 and 36, and from there passes out of the rearward end of the trough by way of an aperture 31. i

The film roller pairs 30 and 3|; 33 and 34, and 35 and 36 are of substantially the same charac- -ter,-one pair being illustrated in Fig. 5. As there shown, lower roller 35 is mounted on a bushing 58 which is rotatable on a shaft 5| mounted in a frame 52 supported by bracket 53 resting on and secured down to trough bottom 25. Roller 35 is provided with film treads 55 and flanges 51. Upper roller 34 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 58 supported by frame 52, and is provided with film treads 59, but has no flanges, being received between the flanges of roller 35, so as to afford a film-confining guideway 60. Both rollers are freely rotatable, and the film strip passing therebetween moves freely, and is at the same time confined against running ofi the rollers.

The film strip entering the forward'end of the trough passes upwardly through an air squeegee 60, comprising a pair of air nozzles 6| located on opposite sides of the film and supplied with air under pressure from a box 62 and an air supply pipe 63. The details of the air nozzles per se need not be here illustrated, as they may be of conventional construction. The air discharged by these squeegee nozzles forces the developing liquid back down the film strip into the developing tank,

with the result that the film entering the trough carries a minimum of developer.

Located within the rinse trough, justbeyond rollers 30 and 3|, is a wash water unit comprising a pair of water discharge nozzles 65 one on each side of the film and directed angularly in the direction of film motion, these nozzles being mounted on and supplied with water from a box 66 and a water supply pipe'GS. The water from nozzles 65 thoroughly rinses the film, and the washings drop onto the inclined surface of trough bottom 25 and run to its rearward end and into a sump 15, which is drained by drain pipe 16.

Near the end of the trough, just ahead of final guide rollers 35 and'36, is another air squeegee comprising a pair of air nozzles l0 and H, ar-

ranged one on each side of the film, and angularly directed against the direction of film motion. Nozzles l0 and 1! are mounted on and supplied with air from a 100x12 fed by air supply pipe 13.

These nozzles force the water back on the film, so that the film carries as little water as possible out of the trough with it.

The film leaving the rearward end of the rinse trough has thus been water rinsed, and has also finally passed through an air squeegee, therefore carrying but a relatively small quantity of liquid over into the next bath.

A typical and preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention has now been described in some detail, it will be understood, however, that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and are contemplated within the meaning of the following claims.

.We claim:

1. In a rinse device for a motion picture film strip, the combination of a trough, means for guiding, a moving film strip longitudinally through said trough, said trough having a bottom wall that slopes downwardly toward the film outgoing end of said trough, an air squeegee forremoving moisturefrom the film strip entering said trough, means within said trough adapted to discharge rinse water against the surface of the film. strip moving through the trough, and an air squeegee within. the trough near the film outgoing end thereof for removing water from the film strip leaving the film outgoing end of the trough.

2. In a device for rinsing a film strip coming from a liquid treatment tank, the combination of a trough arranged with one end over said tank, means for guiding the film strip from the treatment tank upwardly into the end of the trough that overlies the tank, means for guiding the film strip longitudinally through said trough, said trough having a bottom wall that slopes downwardly toward the film outgoing end of said trough, an air squeegee for causing moisture on the-film strip rising into the trough from the liquid treatment tank to drop back into the-tank, means within said trough adapted to discharge rinse water against the surface of the film strip moving through the trough, and an air squeegee within the trough near the film outgoing end thereof for removing water from they film strip leaving the film outgoing end of the trough.

3. In a device for rinsing a film strip coming from a liquid treatment tank, the combination of a trough arranged with one end over said tank, a series of film rollers in said trough adapted'to guide a film strip longitudinally through said trough, said film --strip being taken upwardly from said tank into one end of said trough and through said trough over the top sides of said rollers, said trough having a liquid collecting bottom wall provided with a liquid outlet, an air squeegee for causing moisture on the film strip rising into the trough from the liquid treatment tank to drop back into said tank, means within said trough adapted to discharge rinse water against the surface of the film strip moving through the trough, and an air squeegee within the trough near the film outgoing'end thereof for removing water from the film strip leaving the film outgoing end of the trough.

. HARRIS N. ENSIGN. HARRY A. HANSON. 

